Behave yourself!

The Dubai Executive Council has issued a strict code of conduct, making holding hands and dancing in public illegal. How will Dubai reconcile its reputation for being the region’s party town with the government’s behavioral code?

The Dubai Executive Council (DEC) has launched a campaign against what it considers inappropriate behavior in public, reports Al Arabiya, based on a document leaked to the Arabic-language daily Al Emarat Al Youm.

According to the report, playing loud music, dancing, nudity, kissing, holding hands and being under the influence of alcohol in public will be considered offenses, and may result in jail time and hefty fines.

Furthermore, wearing revealing clothing in public, including short skirts and shirts that expose shoulders, will also be considered offenses.

Kipp called the DEC to get a copy of the list, but the communications director insisted it had not been published yet. He also noted that the list will be released to the public by Monday, March 16. There has been no sign of it yet.

When asked if the government will answer questions about the appropriateness of the new code of conduct, he assured Kipp the public announcement will settle all doubts about the code’s viability.

Kipp, however, remains unconvinced. Especially when you consider the explanation the UAE government gave for its comically named campaign against homosexuality – lesbianism in particular – “Excuse me, I’m a girl”.

According to the BBC, the UAE government has launched a series of workshops, lectures and television programs against what it calls ‘delinquent behavior’. Awatef Al Rayyes, a social worker heading the campaign, explained that the behavior was first identified in special care homes, but spread across Emirati society due to the poor treatment of women by their husbands, and a lack of mingling between the sexes.